2RDR Ep06 Hard Times And Misery
by Lantana75
Summary: In the 1940's the Marstons deal with the Great Depression, lack of work, and almost lose one of their own.
1. Chapter 1

January 20, 1940

"Happy Birthday, Irene." Jack bent over Irene from behind and placed a silver necklace with a heart-shaped pendant around her neck. It was shorter than the necklace her father had given her, which she still wore constantly, and looked great with it. Jack then put his arms around Irene and kissed her face.

"Jack, it's lovely," Irene said as she looked in the mirror. She hugged her husband and he held her close.

"Forty-four," Irene said. "I used to think this was old." She looked at Jack. "Is it?"

"No," Jack replied. "You're still twenty-five in my eyes."

Irene smiled. "Yeah," she said with a slight smirk. "With a child who is eighteen."

Jack smiled. "Then, we're both old," he said. "That's OK. We'll grow old together."

Irene leaned on Jack and rested her hand on his chest. Her head also against his chest, she could hear his heart beating. She hoped that heart would continue to beat for many more years to come.

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	2. Chapter 2

April of 1944

Jack rode home with his horse at a trot after another hunting trip in Tall Trees. With prices on food so high, he and his family had resumed farming and hunting to stay fed. Jack had never wanted to farm, but he realized he had no choice at the moment. He needed to feed his family and this was the best way now.

At home, Irene read the newspaper. World War Two was in full force. It was driving prices up and causing massive problems all over the world. Many people were missing loved ones, had lost loved ones, and there were loved ones who were missing in action. Irene was pleased that Jack never enrolled in the military. However, many men were being drafted into service. At the same time, she wondered if his name meant anything anymore. People still knew the name of John Marston and knew that Jack was his son.

Angela, now aged nineteen, was offered a job by Bonnie and Amos to work as their new nanny. They knew the Marstons were struggling to care for the children and keep their land. The war was driving up the price of food, so that drove up the prices of Bonnie's livestock and her family was earning a lot more money. They were able to pay Angela a lot and she sent back half to her parents. A rider that worked for the ranch would deliver the money every week.

Jack and Irene missed Angela, but were happy that she wanted to help her beloved family.

All four of the Marston children knew their families' pasts. They knew what both of their grandfathers had done and how they had died. They had both been brutally killed by their own government. Irene had even suggested moving to either Australia or Scotland.

After supper that night, the three children went to bed. As Irene and Jack were about to go to bed, the phone rang. Irene picked it up. She listened for a moment.

"Oh, no, Angela," Irene said. "When was this?"

Hearing the remark from Irene, Jack walked into the room. He watched as his wife's face took on a sudden sad expression. He became concerned as he waited to figure out what had happened.

"Yes, Dad and I will be there in the morning," Irene replied. She told Angela she loved her and hung up.

"Amos died this afternoon," Irene told Jack.

"Oh, no," Jack replied. "That's awful."

"I promised we would go to the ranch first thing in the morning," Irene said.

"Of course, we will," Jack agreed. "Let's get some sleep."

The next morning, Jack and his family drove their newest motor vehicle to the ranch. Angela was there to greet her parents and siblings.

"His fever was just so very high," Angela said. "The doctors did all that they could. It was just too much for him."

Other family members had also arrived, including Perrin and his family. They had made big changes in their lives since Jack and Irene had helped them. They no longer spoiled their children and taught them to be grateful. Now, they were almost grown.

"Hello, Mister Marston," Fiona, now a woman, greeted. "I wanted to apologize to you for how I treated you and your family several years ago. It was wrong and uncalled for."

"I accept your apology," Jack said.

That evening, everyone was shown their rooms. The Marstons were given a room downstairs since Kassidy was in a wheelchair and could not climb the stairs. Bonnie's ranch-hands had placed extra cots in each spare bedroom for the children to sleep on.

Bonnie didn't sleep. Jessica, who was now almost thirty, also had trouble sleeping. She laid in bed on her side and stared out the window and cried softly.

"We both know how she feels," Irene said quietly as she snuggled up against Jack in bed. "How it feels to have a father taken so suddenly and unexpectedly. God bless her heart!"

"I know," Jack agreed. He still remembered the day his own father had died as if it had only happened last week. It was always fresh on his mind and he was still angry about it. He had learned to control that anger, thanks to Irene; but it was still chewing away at him.

Irene was also suppressing her anger at her own father's death. For her, it may have been worse. Her father had died in her arms. She had closed his eyes and held him as he took his last breath. She was somewhat at peace, knowing that he did not die alone. He had died knowing she was with him and that she would never stop loving him.

Jack sighed. "It scares me," he told Irene. "What if this happens to our family? I don't want to leave you and the kids."

"I don't think that's as likely to happen now," Irene assured. "There are new laws in place. We don't do that wanted-dead-or-alive thing anymore, thank God. Anyway, you haven't done anything."

"Nineteen-fourteen, Irene," Jack reminded.

"That case is closed," Irene reminded. "They're not looking for anyone anymore. You're clear. Just keep your mouth shut and nobody but you and I will ever know."

"I shouldn't have done it," Jack said. "My father didn't want that life for me. He begged me to do better."

"And you have, Jack," Irene said. "You're a good man. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise. You made a mistake. You were angry, upset, traumatized, and not thinking clearly."

"I'm not going to a shrink, Irene," Jack said firmly.

"Who said you need one?," Irene asked. "You've done very well for yourself. You're a great husband and father; a good person, and a very caring person with a great heart. You have done what your father wanted you to do. He would be so proud." She rubbed his chest as she added, "I know he would."

Irene propped herself up and faced Jack in the eyes. "I love you," she said. She kissed his face. "You're a good man, John David Marston Junior." She stroked his hair and kissed his lips. "I thank God every day that you came into my life," she went on. "I am so pleased that Daddy wanted me to bring that gift to you."

Jack smiled. "I am, too," he said. He placed his hand on the back of her head and pulled her closer to him. "I love you more than I could ever let you know," he said.

Irene rested her head on Jack's chest. He held onto her and stroked her hair until they both fell asleep.

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	3. Chapter 3

September of 1945

Cheers were heard all over the city of Blackwater as Jack, Irene, and their children stepped off the train at the station.

"It's over!," people were shouting. "The War is over! It's all over!"

World War Two had ended, but the troubles were still just beginning for the world. The Depression was setting in and people were desperate for jobs and money. Jack was in a hurry to get to the family home, afraid that desperate people might try to break in and steal from the place during the family's absence.

Thankfully, the house and property were all untouched. Everything was there.

"I'm going back to the bounty-hunting, Irene," Jack told his wife as they sat in a swing, outside on the porch, and watched sky darken. Their home's front door and porch faced East, which is the direction that the sun rises. The children were inside the house. "The rodeo and shows have been OK, but it's coming to an end," Jack said. "Soon, it will just be the rodeos and no more gun-shooting shows. Bounties will start paying more, now that more people are committing crimes."

"They're desperate, not heartless," Irene said. "Everyone is broke right now. I'm not condoning it; just trying to understand it." She paused. "You do know that they no longer do that dead-or-alive thing anymore," she reminded him. "They want them all alive now. All these new rights and new laws."

"I hate them," Jack admitted. "I miss how it was when I was twenty."

"I do, too," Irene agreed. "But we have to obey them. You'll need to bring them in alive."

"I know that," Jack said. "I always did that anyway. This will be less travel and I won't have to leave you and the kids for more than a few days at a time."

"What am I supposed to do?," Irene asked.

"I don't know," Jack replied. "What do you want to do?"

"They've just built a new riding facility near the old Serendipity shipwreck," Irene said. "They'll be teaching people how to ride horses and train for shows and rodeos. I may apply to teach the ones who want to ride Western. I have never ridden English anyway."

"It looks a little sissy to me," Jack smiled.

"Well, the British didn't have cowboys," Irene explained. "They didn't rope cattle, herd them, and all those things our parents and grandparents did. They had no need for the larger saddle, saddle horn, and all these things we used. I may try it. That jumping looks really fun, actually."

Jack smirked. "Stay with what we've known all our lives," he said.

"It's still the best," Irene said. "It will be great to be back on a horse again, even though it's now recreational."

"Join the Amish," Jack joked.

"No, thank you," Irene replied. She leaned back against Jack as he put his arm around her.

"Good for you," Jack replied. "I would miss you."

Irene giggled.

Irene started her new job the following Monday. She assisted the main instructor in teaching several students on how to ride a horse western style. She taught barrel-racing, reining, and more.

"What we need is somebody to teach us how to rope," one student suggested one afternoon.

"My husband can do that," Irene said. "I'll see if he will."

"Your husband is John Marston's son, right?," another student asked.

"And she's the daughter of Landon Ricketts," a third student replied.

"All that's true," Irene said. "But, we don't advertise that. I wrote my father's story because I wanted people to know the truth. Those old dime novels exaggerated or lied completely. Jack did the same for his father for the same reason."

That evening, Irene asked Jack for the favor. "Just one day a week," she said. "It won't interfere with your bounty-hunting."

Jack sighed. "OK," he said. "I'll do it."

Irene smiled.

"For you," Jack added. "You know that I will do anything for you."

"Do it for them," Irene said. "When I was a child, a woman told me something: to ride a horse is to borrow freedom."

Jack sighed. "I didn't respect my horses when I was younger," he admitted. "I used to yell at them and spur them too hard. It was like I blamed them for my rotten life."

"Life is what you make it," Irene said. "Daddy always told me that every day and I believe it. That's how I got myself together after he died in my arms. I gave the world another chance. And, Jack, I realized there are people who are still deserving of love, respect, and happiness. One of those people is you."

Jack held Irene tighter. He felt the same way about her and he told her that every day. He really believed that he would be dead or still alone if she had never came into his life. She had opened his eyes and helped him give the world the same second chance that she had given it. He was not as open as she was, but he was happier than he had been before.

The children seemed to know that their parents were as happy or as open as other parents. Jack and Irene did hug the children and show their affection often, but there was always an emptiness in them. The children were always loved, provided for, and protected; no matter what. The four siblings loved their parents very much and would do anything to keep them happy.

Lately, Angela had started to pray for her parents. She knew that her mother believed in God and that her father was not sure yet if God did or did not exist. He often doubted it. He wondered what kind of God would allow his father to be brutally murdered, leave him unhappy, or let his baby sister die before she even got a chance to live. He did believe when Irene told him that God does not interfere with free will and that led to the fact that Edgar Ross made his own decision to bring people to the farm to kill John. But, what about little Helen's death? She was only a baby. Jack wished that she had lived with the family on Beecher's Hope. Sadly, she had died a year before the family moved onto the farm and several months after leaving Dutch's gang. She was just under a year old when she died.

Jack and Irene had come through so much. Only the people who either knew them or read the biographies of the couple's fathers knew just what was hidden away in their hearts. They were like two locked safes with lost keys and only she and her siblings could open those safes now and see who Jack and Irene truly were.

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	4. Chapter 4

April of 1946

"No! No! Irene! No!"

Jack jolted away from a terrifying dream, hyperventilating and trembling. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down as Irene woke up. She sat up and touched him.

"Jack? Are you OK?" Irene pulled him to her and hugged him. "Damn, you're trembling like a leaf. What is it?"

Jack took several more deep breaths and then nodded. "Yeah, it was just a dream."

"And it's been four nights in a row, baby," Irene said.

Jack was now fifty-two and Irene was now fifty. They looked much younger, however, and each had very little gray hair. Jack still had a full head of hair, as well. He was happy about that, since Irene had always loved playing with his long hair.

Jack sighed. "I've been having these dreams," he said slowly. "They're terrifying me." He looked at Irene. "I keep dreaming that you're about to die." He held her close to him. "I've fought all these years for you and the kids," he said. "I've done as my father asked and lived a clear life. Does that mean I have done all that to just lose you?"

"Jack, to dream of a loved one's death, or even a stranger's death, does not mean that person is about to die," Irene said. "It could mean other things. It could mean that we're separate too much, which we have been. You're bounty-hunting again and away from home more. Then, you've been supervising the construction crew on expanding this house. We're not together as much as we normally have been."

"We should go away together," Jack suggested. "Angela can take care of the kids and the house."

Angela was now twenty-five and a very responsible young woman and had cared for the children before, but never had she cared for them for a long period of time.

"She can do it," Irene assured her husband. "We need the time alone together. It will do all of us a lot of good. The kids are about to get the Summer off of school. We can do this really soon."

"We'll make the plans soon," Jack promised.

"We'll go to some tropical place where the sun shines a lot," Irene smiled. "Maybe Florida."

"Miami?," Jack suggested.

"Sounds great," Irene replied.

Angela had moved into the guest-house that was behind the family's house. She was looking to get a job and start her life. She hoped to meet somebody and have a family soon.

"Sure, Mom," Angela smiled as she and Irene talked in Angela's living room. "I'd be happy to help. You and Daddy really need the break. I want you two to go and have fun." She smiled and winked. "And bring me back a present, too," she joked.

Irene hugged her daughter, so proud of the lovely and wonderful adult she had raised. We don't raise children, she had heard. We're raising adults.

Irene was looking forward to the trip. She needed it. She needed time alone with Jack, something they had almost never had since they started having children. The couple loved their children more than anything, but needed the break.

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	5. Chapter 5

August of 1946

Jack woke up at sunrise. He looked at Irene and gave her a gentle kiss on her head. He stroked her hair and then got out of bed. He dressed and left the room.

Irene woke up almost an hour later. She remained in bed, relaxing for a few moments before she got up and started her own day. She sat up and thought for a moment. She then got out of bed and dressed and walked to the kitchen. Not a coffee drinker, Irene got a Coca-Cola from the refrigerator. Both Jack and Irene remembered when Coca-Cola was new in 1886. Then, it had been removed from the market for a short time to be reformulated. The old formula had cocaine in it and it could not be sold. Now, it had caffeine. That woke Irene up well.

Jack was now 51 and Irene was now 49. They still felt like they were in their twenties. They were still as young as ever. Their kids didn't even refer to them as "old" either.

Jack was in Tall Trees, hunting. Since the Depression had driven up prices on everything, including food, people who were able to were doing their own hunting, fishing, and farming.

Irene and the kids cared for the crops; corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and other foods they often ate were now growing in one area of the farm.

Bounties were few and far-between since the creation of several new agencies that focused on tracking down fugitives. These were driving Jack and Irene out of work.

What were Jack and Irene supposed to do? They had no skills, no training, and no other interests. They loved their lifestyle, their guns, and their liberty. Would they lose all this?

Irene had lunch ready by the time Jack returned. The couple kissed and then sat down to eat. From her home in the guest-house, Angela showed up for lunch.

"Where are Kassidy and the twins?," Angela asked as she sat down.

"Kassidy is with some friends and the twins are fishing," Irene replied. The family fished in the river just north of the farm. "They rode their new bicycles there about an hour ago. And Kassidy rode in her friend's new car. It's a nice car. I just hope Stephanie is a safe driver."

The day went on quite normally and almost boring. Irene relaxed by the fire, reading books and daydreaming. Jack worked in the workshop and spent most of the day outdoors. Angela went out shopping.

As the family began to return home, Landon arrived with several good-sized fish.

"We have supper tonight, Irene," Jack smiled. "I'll get these so you can cook them."

Irene turned on the stove.

"Where the hell is Johnny?," Angela asked as she helped her mother in the kitchen.

"Landon said he stayed behind to catch one more," Irene said. "So they would both have six fish."

"Shouldn't he be back by now?," Angela asked as she pointed out the time.

"Yeah, he should," Irene said, growing concerned. "Stay here and watch the stove. I'll send your father to find him."

Jack jogged to the riverbank to find his son's fishing pole, tackle box, and bicycle. "Johnny!," Jack called. "Johnny! Answer me, son! Are you here?"

His heart pounding in his chest, Jack began to understand how his own father had felt the day Jack had tried to hunt the bear alone. "What do I do?," Jack asked himself. He tried to maintain his composure. "I gotta find my son."

Jack hurried home. "I'll get the police," he told Irene.

"Jack, what's going on?," Irene asked.

"Johnny's things are by the river," Jack explained. "But I can't find him anywhere."

Irene's face said it all. "Find him, Jack," she begged.

"We'll find him, Irene," Jack said. "I promise. He'll be home safe very soon." Jack hugged Irene and kissed her. "I promise you." He gave her another squeeze and then left the house.

Jack drove into town and went to the people he did not trust at all; had not trusted since he was sixteen years old: the police. Jack had lost his faith in the government and law enforcement after Edgar Ross had brought an army to kill John in 1911. The images were still in Jack's memory and they played over and over again all the time. He still had nightmares about it, even having dreams that the same thing happened to him in front of his own family. Irene was always worried that he was not getting enough sleep.

"He's seventeen," the police told Jack. "We can't do anything until he has been missing for twenty-four hours."

"My son could be hurt," Jack said. "Doesn't that matter to you? Or is all this because of who I am, who my father was?"

"Sir, that was almost forty years ago," the police chief told him. "We're not concerned with what John Marston was years ago. Plus, how many dangerous fugitives have you brought in? Do you think we don't appreciate that? How many people have gotten justice because you brought us these people?"

Jack got it. He calmed down. "Then can't you show some appreciation by helping me here?," he asked. "This is my son. He was supposed to be home two hours ago. He's always home when he says he will be or he lets us know he will be late. Please help me."

Chief Henry Larkin thought hard. "You know, he's right," he finally said. He looked at his lieutenant. "Get a search party gathered as quickly as you can," he said. "We'll start searching the riverbank and Tall Trees immediately."

"Thank you," Jack said, relieved. "Thank you so much."

"You wait at home with your family," Larkin said. "We'll keep you and your family updated."

The waiting was awful for the entire family. Irene lay in bed and stared at the wall. Jack sat in the living room and stared out the large window. Angela, Kassidy, and Landon tried to keep calm by watching television; which didn't help at all.

In Tall Trees, searchers combed the woods on horseback and on foot for any sign of Johnny. They all had photos of the teenager.

Larkin was sure this was a runaway teen. They were sure this was a teen who became angry with his parents and would be back the next morning, boasting about how he had scared his mom and dad.

Jack and Irene knew better. Their children may get angry. After all, what child never gets angry at their parents? They did when they were children. But, they knew Johnny and their other children would never take it this far.

As the sun rose, two officers made their way to Beecher's Hope and knocked on the front door.

"I'm sorry," one officer said. "We still haven't found anything. We're beginning to believe he may have fallen into the river and washed out to sea. We're sorry for your loss."

Irene collapsed into Jack's arms. They held one another and grieved for their son. Was he really gone? Had they lost their son? How would they tell the other siblings?

The day was quiet. Irene spent the day in bed, crying and staring at the wall with a blank expression. Jack sat in the living room and stared at the empty fireplace. The siblings stayed in Angela's guest-house, trying not to bother their parents, as they also grieved.

As the sun grew high in the sky, Jack walked to the master bedroom and sat on the bed.

"Irene, you need to eat something, baby," Jack said as he gently touched his wife. She pulled away from him.

Before Jack could say anything else, the telephone rang. He sighed heavily and left the room. Irene could hear him as he answered it.

"What?," Jack asked, suddenly and loudly. "When?" After a long pause, she heard Jack say, "I'm on my way right now."

Irene was sitting up when Jack returned. He sat on the bed again, grabbed her by the shoulders, and said to her, "He's alive, Irene. Johnny is alive."

"Don't lie to me, Jack," Irene said.

"Stay here," Jack insisted. "I'm gonna get our son back."

As Jack was about to leave the room, Irene jumped from the bed and called for him to stop. "Jack, what's happening?"

"Two years ago, I turned in a man named Carl Johnson, remember?," Jack asked. "He has two brothers and one sister. They took Johnny last night."

"Revenge?," Irene asked. "Get our son back, Jack. Please, get him back."

Irene walked towards Jack. He looked her right in the eye and placed his hands on her face. "I'll get him back," he promised. "I will get our son back." He hugged Irene. "You stay here."

Jack took his Schofield Revolver and his High Power Pistol and left the house.

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	6. Chapter 6

"Jack Marston."

Lucas Johnson met Jack at the foot of the path that led to an old cabin in Tanner's Reach.

"Where is my son?," Jack asked firmly. "I want to see my son."

"He's not hurt," Lucas said. "Yet."

Lucas led Jack up the hill towards the cabin. Inside, Blake and Rianne Johnson were guarding Johnny. The boy was bound and afraid.

"I'm here," Jack said. "Now let my son go home."

"Can't do that," Lucas said. "He's seen our faces."

Jack knew then they were not going to let him and his son leave this place alive. He would do anything to save his son. He had to think fast or he and Johnny would both die shortly.

As the siblings discussed what to do just outside the cabin, Jack untied his son.

"Listen, pretend your hands are still tied behind you," Jack told the teenager. He placed the High Power Pistol into Johnny's belt and covered it with the shirt. "Be ready to shoot your way out," Jack said. "Remember what I taught you."

"I remember, Dad," Johnny said.

Jack patted Johnny's shoulder. "It's just that I know you've never shot at a person before," he said. "Only animals."

"Dad, I'm OK," Johnny assured. "I just wanna get outta here and go home."

The siblings walked back into the cabin.

"Now we get our revenge," Blake grinned.

The three siblings pulled guns.

Jack pulled his Schofield and barked at his son to take action. The father and son shot at the siblings as they dove to the ground. Johnny clipped Lucas, sending him to the floor.

"Go, Johnny!," Jack yelled at his son. "Get outta here, son! Go!"

Johnny hesitated.

"Go!," Jack screeched.

Johnny ran. He could hear the gunfire. Would Jack be able to escape? He slowed down. What should he do?

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	7. Chapter 7

"Johnny!" Irene rushed to her son and hugged him. She then realized that her husband was nowhere in sight. "Where's your father?," she asked. "Johnny, where is he?"

"He stayed behind," Johnny said. "He told me to run."

Irene gasped, her hand over her mouth. "No," she said. "No."

Johnny grabbed his mother and hugged her tightly. "He'll get outta that, Mom," he said. "Dad's strong. He'll get home soon."

Inside, the entire family waited anxiously for Jack. Irene looked at her watch.

"I'm going to go look for him," Irene said. "It's been too long." She got her own Schofield and started to her car.

"Mom, wait," Johnny called as he and his brother ran after her. Landon grabbed her arm as Johnny said, "He wanted us to wait at home."

"What if he's hurt?," Irene asked. She pulled her arm free from Landon and walked on.

As Irene stepped out the front door, she saw Jack's car coming up the driveway. The slow and side-to-side driving told the family that all was not well.

As the car stopped, Irene and the twins rushed to it. Landon opened the door to see his father bleeding from his left arm. "Dad!"

The twins helped Jack from the car and into the house. They sat him down in the kitchen. Landon got his father's coat off and Irene took off his shirt.

"It's just a flesh wound," Irene said when she saw the injury to Jack's arm, just below his shoulder. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around the injury.

"No hospital," Jack demanded. "Just do what you can here."

"Dad, you'll get an infection," Landon said. "Let us take you to the hospital."

"No," Jack insisted. "They have to report this."

Irene found the large Ace bandage and wrapped it around Jack's arm, covering the injury completely. She fastened the bandage, making sure it was tight.

"Are you sure about the hospital, Jack?," Irene asked, concerned. "An infection can kill you."

"If I get an infection, I will go, OK?," Jack said. He calmed down and looked at Johnny. "Are you all right, son?," he asked.

"I'm fine, Dad," Johnny said.

Jack hugged Johnny. "Nobody's taking any more of my family from me," he said. He hugged Landon. "I'd die for any one of you."

END

Author's Notes

Events in the 1940's

The development of radar.

The development of ballistic missiles.

The development of jet aircraft.

The Jeep.

The development of commercial television.

The Slinky.

The microwave oven.

The invention of Velcro.

The invention of Tupperware.

The invention of the Frisbee.

The development of quantum theory and nuclear physics.

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